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3.5
The Two of Swords, Volume One
ByPublisher Description
The epic opening volume in The Two of SwordsThe Two of Swords trilogy by World Fantasy Award-winning author K. J. Parker.
"Why are we fighting this war? Because evil must be resisted, and sooner or later there comes a time when men of principle have to make a stand. Because war is good for business and it's better to die on our feet than live on our knees. Because they started it. But at this stage in the proceedings," he added, with a slightly lop-sided grin, "mostly from force of habit.""Why are we fighting this war? Because evil must be resisted, and sooner or later there comes a time when men of principle have to make a stand. Because war is good for business and it's better to die on our feet than live on our knees. Because they started it. But at this stage in the proceedings," he added, with a slightly lop-sided grin, "mostly from force of habit."
A soldier with a gift for archery. A woman who kills without care. Two brothers, both unbeatable generals, now fighting for opposing armies. No-one in the vast and once glorious United Empire remains untouched by the rift between East and West, and the war has been fought for as long as anyone can remember. Some still survive who know how it was started, but no-one knows how it will end.
The Two of SwordsThe Two of Swords is the story of a war on a grand scale, told through the eyes of its soldiers, politicians, victims and heroes.
"Why are we fighting this war? Because evil must be resisted, and sooner or later there comes a time when men of principle have to make a stand. Because war is good for business and it's better to die on our feet than live on our knees. Because they started it. But at this stage in the proceedings," he added, with a slightly lop-sided grin, "mostly from force of habit.""Why are we fighting this war? Because evil must be resisted, and sooner or later there comes a time when men of principle have to make a stand. Because war is good for business and it's better to die on our feet than live on our knees. Because they started it. But at this stage in the proceedings," he added, with a slightly lop-sided grin, "mostly from force of habit."
A soldier with a gift for archery. A woman who kills without care. Two brothers, both unbeatable generals, now fighting for opposing armies. No-one in the vast and once glorious United Empire remains untouched by the rift between East and West, and the war has been fought for as long as anyone can remember. Some still survive who know how it was started, but no-one knows how it will end.
The Two of SwordsThe Two of Swords is the story of a war on a grand scale, told through the eyes of its soldiers, politicians, victims and heroes.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Two of Swords, Volume One Reviews
3.5
“4 stars, https://reviews.metaphorosis.com/review/the-two-of-swords-volume-one-k-j-parker/
<strong>Summary </strong>
A complex web of characters are engaged in multilateral conflict for control of territory, all influenced by the mysterious network of 'craftsmen' who seem to know more than anyone else.
<strong>Review </strong>
I was raised with a respect for accountability – admitting mistakes and accepting consequences. With books, that plays out in odd ways. As I’ve done with a few others (e.g., Johnathan Carroll), I bought too many K.J. Parker books, but I feel compelled, once they’re bought, to read them.
As I’ve said many times before, each individual Parker book is generally very good. They’re also very much the same – the same characters, the same tone, the same twists and tweaks. If you’ve read one, you’ve pretty much read them all.
Happily, this first volume of <em>The Two of Swords</em>, probably because it was first released as a serial, bucks that pattern a bit. Parker shifts sequentially between a half dozen character perspectives here, and that change provides some much needed variety. The characters aren’t too different – they’re mostly highly talented, yet do all the wrong things which somehow work out well – but they are different within the book.
There’s a backstory that, as often with Parker, provides a complex puzzle that somehow everything contributes to. And, of course, vague geography and generic political entities. Here, I find the backstory – involving a guild of craftsmen that’s somehow near omniscient – both interesting and too convoluted to follow. Luckily, you can get by with the just the bare outlines, and many of the characters aren’t sure what’s happening either.
The book ends in a cliffhanger, and presumably is best read as one large volume, so I’ll be going on shortly to the next book. This volume, though, is par for the course with Parker, but a little more engaging.”
“This a fantastically giant fantasy series.
All three volumes combining into an a tale of epic scope rivalling the greats of fantasy.
Two is the theme of this story.
It begins with two brothers who are both brilliant generals and really, REALLY hate each other.
Each fighting for the other side as the Empire splits apart (two again)
Grinding entire armies to hamburger in a series of increasingly bloody battles in attempts to kill each other.
Battles so terrible that the countries are bankrupted, everyone of fighting age is dead, and all the farm land is razed.
Urging the brothers on are two factions of the Lodge. A secret Mason-esque society that has been controlling the world from the shadows.
The last act of the saga features two(see? see what Parker did?) brothers who again hate each other but it turns out they are the last heirs to the Empire once the Lodge manages to kill the Emperors on the thrones.
Epically long. Involved and filled with a depth of plot that is only second to Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time.
Brilliant, as K. J. Parker always is.”
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